Permeable Parking Lot Coming Soon

Over the last few months, our foreman Alan has been working extra hard around the workshop. We’re excited to announce that his most recent project has been clearing out and installing a brand new permeable parking lot! This parking lot is a very important addition to our eco-friendly workshop, and is also a part of a greater plan to make the workshop fully ADA accessible. The lot will provide ample parking for visiting customers and Softstar employees who are unable to use alternative methods of transportation to get to work.

If you have never heard of permeable paving, it is an environmentally friendly alternative to standard asphalt that can be used on residential roads, driveways, parking lots, and more. The installation process involves layering various types of permeable materials, such as drain rock and fine gravel, and installing structured grids to hold the materials in place. These grids allow storm water to pass through the layers, effectively reducing runoff and filtering pollutants out of the water. How cool is that?

Alan has many reasons why he chose to install a permeable lot vs. a traditional asphalt lot. These include:

• The energy cost of making traditional asphalt is very high and takes a toll on the environment by using petroleum and other chemicals in the process.
• Permeable paving reduces the concentration of pollutants in storm water and prevents that water from flowing into the storm drains.
• Permeable lots also replenish groundwater and allow for better traction in icy conditions.

Permeable parking lots are a great idea for cities and states that see high levels of rain or snowfall, as they also help reduce flood risk. As more of these types of lots are installed, the hope is that their absorbent properties will result in less severe damage when storms occur.

Here's a website where you can learn more about pervious concrete pavement.

A later stage of our parking lot, with more layers and gravel added.

Elf Alison

Elf Ali is an Oregon Native with over 5 years of Softstar experience as a Promotions Pioneer. She attended Whitworth University and enjoys choir singing.